Abstract
Water resources are under increasing threat globally from anthropogenic activities, thereby adding a fifth perspective to our conceptualizations relating to the politicized nature of water. This chapter introduces this Handbook by offering a definition of water and water governance and a brief history of water governance. It also links water governance to the sustainable development discourse and to integrated water resources management, the globally leading paradigm in the field of water. The chapter then provides an overview of the contributions to this Handbook.